1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid handling systems, and more particularly to an improved method of and apparatus for supplying an emergency source of fresh water to a location such as a household, factory, hospital, or the like, when the normal water supply is terminated, and for generating a high volume of air-water foam for extinguishing fires at such locations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During emergency situations, for example, natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, floods and man-caused disasters, such as war, pollution and the like, there frequently results an extended interruption of fresh water normally supplied by a city water system. In other situations as, for example, equipment failures and labor disputes, the normal supply of fresh water from a city water system may be terminated, but generally for shorter periods of time. Undoubtedly, still other emergency situations exist which create a need for a temporary supply of fresh water, particularly for hospitals, military installations, air raid shelters, schools, and the like. A sudden termination of the fresh water supply, for even short periods of time, in the latter locations where large numbers of persons are likely to be gathered for extended periods, could prove dangerous to health, or in some cases, even life.
Moreover, the hazard of fire which exists in every such location, whether or not during one of the aforementioned disaster situations, is only partly met by the existing capabilities of local fire departments and integrally installed sprinkler systems. In the case of local fire departments, while their response to an alarm is especially prompt in most instances, there inevitably exists in each occurrence of fire, a significant time lag between the initiation of the alarm and the appearance of fire-fighting equipment at the scene. During such time lag, substantial fire damage occurs which might have been avoided if an integrally installed fire-extinguishing system could have been either automatically or manually actuated. Unfortunately, most of the so-called sprinkler systems of the prior art utilize water as the sole fire extinguishing medium and therefore, unlike a foam extinguishing system, cause considerable water damage to areas which are not directly exposed to or are only slightly exposed to the fire.
In addition, such prior art sprinkler systems are likely to be inoperative during the previously-mentioned periods when the city water system is interrupted. Even if an emergency source of water were available to supply one of the known sprinkler systems, it would necessarily be of rather large volume and therefore uneconomically installed and maintained, particularly in the case of the average homeowner. Furthermore, the pressures at which the normal supply of city water is delivered are generally insufficient without pumping to generate a sufficient volume of foam having a relatively low water content so as to avoid substantial water damage to the spaces into which the foam is introduced.
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that there is a need, heretofore unfulfilled for an emergency water reserve and fire extinguishing system, operable automatically or manually, either remotely or in situ, and which is capable of storing and supplying a standby source of fresh water for emergency situations, and, further, which is capable, without the need for an electrically operated pump, of generating and distributing a large volume of fire-extinguishing air-water foam throughout the location where the system is installed.
To ascertain the state of the art relative to this invention, a search of the pertinent United States Patents was conducted which uncovered the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Issue Year ______________________________________ 907,504 Kane 1908 912,243 Hill 1909 1,635,745 Ellis 1927 2,227,322 Scully et al 1940 2,939,476 Absolon 1960 3,433,258 Steele 1969 3,500,935 Wiedorn 1970 3,822,217 Rogers 1974 ______________________________________
None of the patents uncovered disclose a method and apparatus for providing an emergency supply of fresh water and for generating a high volume of fire-extinguishing air-water foam. It is recognized that each of the components utilized in the present invention is conventional; nevertheless, the combination of such components in the present system and the method taught herein are neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.